HGTVs Carter Oosterhouse lends a hand to Great Wolf Lodge to Support Big Brothers Big Sisters

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Wolf Lodge resorts and HGTV design expert, Carter Oosterhouse, have kicked off a delicious partnership to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters this holiday season. 

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121129/PH21113 )

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110613/PH17540LOGO )

Carter collaborated with Great Wolf Lodge and put his design expertise to work on his sweetest renovation project to date - a LIFE-SIZE GINGERBREAD HOUSE. Starting at the Great Wolf Lodge in his hometown of Traverse City, Mich., Carter worked with the resort to bring this unique – and delicious – home to life. Homemade, and home baked, gingerbread houses are located in each of the 11 Great Wolf Lodge resorts in North America. During the month of December, guests can dine inside the delectable house at their local Great Wolf Lodge for a $20 siting fee. All proceeds from these special dining experiences benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

From offering design tips for creating festive family photo frames to sharing secrets on how he constructed the ultimate edible house, Carter truly got in the spirit of the season as he worked alongside the resort's food and beverage team, and even got a "paw" (hand) from Oliver Raccoon. To help get everyone in the spirit, Carter also presented $7,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters in Northwestern Michigan.

The gingerbread houses are just one part of the annual Great Wolf Lodge Snowland celebration which begins this Saturday, December 1 and runs through December 25. During Snowland, guests can take part in visits with Santa Claus, holiday-themed crafts in the Cub Club, a special Snowland Clock Tower show, and more.

"We are so thrilled Great Wolf Lodge is supporting Big Brother Big Sisters during Snowland again this year," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and CEO Charles Pierson. "The partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters and Great Wolf Lodge has been a natural fit as we share the common goal of strengthening children's lives through opportunities for them to spend quality time with caring adults. We cannot thank Great Wolf Lodge, and the assistance from Carter Oosterhouse, enough."

To learn more about the gingerbread house dining experience and Big Brother Big Sister partnership, log on to www.greatwolf.com/snowland

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters' mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Partnering with parents/guardians, school, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports them in one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as higher aspirations; greater confidence and better relationships; educational success; and avoidance of delinquency and other risky behaviors. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. Headquartered in Philadelphia with as network of about 350 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteer mentors and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate, or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

About Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.®, Madison, Wis., is North America's largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, and, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, owns, licenses and/or operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge® brand. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company with Great Wolf Lodge locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; Williamsburg, Va.; the Pocono Mountains, Pa.; Niagara Falls, Ontario; Mason, Ohio; Grapevine, Texas; Grand Mound, Wash.; and Concord, N.C.

The company's resorts are family-oriented destination facilities that generally feature 300 to 600 rooms and a large indoor entertainment area measuring 40,000 to 100,000 square feet. The all-suite properties offer a variety of room styles, arcade/game rooms, fitness rooms, themed restaurants, spas, supervised children's activities and other amenities. The company's consolidated subsidiary, Creative Kingdoms, LLC, is a developer and operator of technology-based, interactive quest adventure experiences such as MagiQuest®.

Additional information may be found on the company's website at www.greatwolf.com.

About Carter Oosterhouse

Carter Oosterhouse is one of America's most recognized lifestyle experts. As host of HGTV's Carter Can, Red, Hot & Green, Million Dollar Rooms, Celebrity Motor Homes and a regular contributor to the Emmy® Award--Winning Rachael Ray Show, Carter's unique combination of skill, passion and charm have given him widespread appeal for families and individuals alike seeking to improve the quality of their lives by enhancing their surroundings.

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters